Now that we have my obsession with credit cards out of the way, I want to cover a topic that may appeal to a wider range of you reading my blog: money-saving apps.
I am not going to waste your time with ones that have shady tactics or require a bunch of work. In fact, I will rank them based on how often I use them and how useful I think they are. Between these apps, Denise and I have saved about $2,000 over the last year and a half. In fact, some of them have become sort of a game for me (or are actual games!) in trying to maximize savings, leading to “the look” from Denise when she knows I am headed out for another grocery run or a mystery shop.
And so, let’s begin!
**Disclaimer: I have included some referral links for some of these apps. I would really appreciate you using those to sign up for these apps if you are interested and if the information is useful to you. Ultimately, I am recommending them based on their usefulness to you!**
1) Ibotta
You may have seen ads for this app recently, yet it is not used by as many people as I would expect given how great it is! This has been my personal favorite app over the past year, and between the two of us, we have saved over $1200 in the last year and a half of using it. Ibotta is part electronic coupons and part online shopping. While I have not used the online shopping side of it, I know that it rivals Rakuten (an app I won’t talk about here because it is more widely known, but I still recommend it). Ibotta is environmentally friendly and much easier than going through the paper and clipping coupons. It has virtually any major superstore you would shop at (Walmart, Target, Kroger, etc.) and also local places (Schnucks, Hy-Vee, County Market), making it very versatile for anyone who shops for their groceries.
What I like:
- Each store is organized into categories, making it easy to jump to specific ones if you are looking for something in particular.
- The coupons commonly include major brands that we buy, saving us a great deal of money on something we would already be getting anyway. For those of you with small children, diapers, wipes, snacks, and other products are commonly featured on there as well!
- There are frequently free items–sometimes random and disgusting, sometimes familiar and delicious. I’m willing to try anything that’s free!
- Ibotta offers regular bonuses that maximize your savings. For example, in the past, I have had a couple bonuses that showed up at the same time that allowed me to get an EXTRA $15 if I redeemed 20 offers within a week’s span. That is $15 in addition to the coupon savings. In my last grocery trip, I spent $90, but with Ibotta and a couple other apps, I got $50 back!
- The app tells you when specific coupons will expire, and many of them also reset 24 hours after you have used them.
What I don’t like:
- Some of the offers can be a bit obscure, but I also understand that this involves brands trying to make a name for themselves. If you are needing items that are organic, gluten-free, Keto, etc., this could be even more useful for you.
I don’t really see any reason not to try Ibotta. I try to make sure I don’t use the coupons just because I am “saving” money due to the fact that I may spend money I don’t need to. I really do believe it has resulted in a ton of money being saved, and I love the challenge of trying to achieve some of the bonuses.
I have included my referral link here (my referral code is rtvgmde). I would appreciate you using it if this introduction to Ibotta has been worthwhile to you. YOU get a bonus for signing up and following the instructions as well, and I hope this ends up saving a great deal of money for you!
And the others (these will be MUCH shorter write-ups)
2) Field Agent
This one may be a bigger stretch for some of you, as it involves some work, but it is one of my favorites! Essentially, Field Agent involves different forms of mystery shopping. I have earned over $200 in the last six months or so, and it has been through a wide range of jobs. Field Agent regularly has jobs pop up in its app, most of which are within a 10 mile vicinity of me. I have the option of going in and accepting whatever jobs I want. From going to a nearby house and taking 3 photos for an insurance company, to getting pictures of the paper product aisles at Schnucks (4 different times now!), to scanning items and answering questions at Sam’s, I’ve just about done it all. Most of these jobs have been ridiculously easy, and typically I will do jobs that pay me $5 to do something that takes about 5 minutes.
One of my favorite things to do is in the “Buy & Try” section of the app. I can buy a particular item, try it (must have taken them forever to come up with the “buy & try” name…), and then give my thoughts on the product. Not only will they pay me to give my thoughts, but they will fully reimburse the cost of the product! I have gotten paid to eat ice cream and write about it a few different times!
If this sounds like something you would be interested in, I would be grateful if you would use my link here. Thank you and enjoy!
3) Shopkick
I am kicking myself (pun 100% intended) for not using this app sooner. I have already earned almost $25 just in the last 3 weeks of using it, and it has allowed me to get some awesome items for incredibly cheap. Shopkick gives you points for walking into stores (some of them), scanning various items, and/or submitting your receipt with one of the featured items. You can then use these points for gift cards of different amounts. A great example of how much this can save you happened yesterday. I saw that CVS had a bag of Starbucks Coffee with Essential Vitamins (which is delicious, though I would never pay full price for anything Starbucks) on sale for $5.99. Shopkick was offering 1200 points back (250 points = $1, so almost $5), so I got a 9 oz. bag of Starbucks coffee for just slightly over $1. While there are not a ton of items at each store, it is absolutely possible to stack this with Ibotta and other apps (I have done just that a few times) to save even more money.
I have my referral link here (my code is GOAL276519) to help you get started, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
4) Coupons.com
While this is listed as a website, it is in fact an app with digital coupons for a good deal of stores like Walmart, Meijer, Target, and Walgreens, though not as many as Ibotta. However, one of the best parts of it is that they will commonly have some of the same coupons as Ibotta. Since both are paperless, there is no way for it to show that you used both. All you have to do is “clip” your coupon before shopping, upload your receipt, and they will send you money via PayPal. Pretty easy!
I don’t have a referral link for this one; just a regular link to take you to a download. Enjoy the savings!
5) Fetch Rewards
This is a pretty straight-forward app. Upload your receipt, and you will get a guaranteed (though small) amount of points for each receipt. You will receive additional points for certain brands, and on the home page there are some really good offers for certain products. Earlier this week, I went to Binny’s and got a 12 pack of Summer Shandy (don’t judge) on sale for $11.99. Fetch was offering 3,000 points ($3) back with the purchase of a 12 pack, so I essentially got it for $9. A great deal!
I have my referral link here (my code is TKVYJ), and I would appreciate you using it as you sign up for more savings!
6) ReceiptPal and Receipt Hog
Both of these apps are virtually the same: upload receipts, answer occasional surveys (if you want–definitely not required!), and get points to exchange for money through PayPal or for gift cards. Receipt Hog recently allowed me to do a survey, sent me a free, brand new product (King’s Hawaiian Sweet Pretzel Rolls!!), and paid me to give my thoughts on them! While these apps don’t give a ton of money, it takes me about 30 seconds to upload my receipts to them after I get home from shopping, so it really is not much of my time.
I do have a referral link for ReceiptPal here, but I don’t have one for Receipt Hog. Just this link to take you to the app. Happy saving!
7) SavingStar and Checkout 51
These two are similar to Ibotta and Coupons.com. They show you offers at a variety of stores, you click them before you go shopping, and upload your receipt to get money deposited into your account. Once again, I mainly use these to double up on some coupons in other apps like Ibotta to maximize savings. While I haven’t saved a ton with them (about $25-$30), it’s better than nothing!
Here is a link to SavingStar, and a link to Checkout 51 as well.
8) Krazy Coupon Lady
I mainly follow this app (and email list) to have someone else do the work to send me great deals at different stores. Some of them are insane, but occasionally there are ones sent out that can even make you money by purchasing the product! They will typically tell you exactly which apps (mainly Ibotta) to use in order to save on different items.
Here is a link to their app!
And a bonus app that is completely random but awesome…
9) PetSmart
Yes, the PetSmart app. Why, you ask? Because it contains a Candy Crush-like game that is a much greater use of your time. When you play the game, it includes three levels and three different coupons you can earn. The last few times I have played, the coupons have been for 15%, 20%, and 25% off a single item (you get all three if you finish all three levels of the game). I got Charlie’s food this week and saved $11 on it just by having finished the hard level of the game! The coupons reset just about every month, so you could easily save over $100 a year through the app. AND YOU PLAY A GAME TO GET THE COUPONS.
Final Thoughts
These are definitely not the only apps out there, but they are ones that I have found especially useful and pretty easy to use. There is no reason why you can’t be saving a ton on your groceries and regular day-to-day purchases. It may just take a little bit of homework and time!
Be sure to reach out and let me know if there are any awesome apps you use to save money as well!
Financial Tips for Everyday Life 